Shifters
by SPNatmidnight
Summary: "He's lived his life in so much fear of the yellow-eyed demon in the prophecy," she blinked, her eyes flashed deep, piercing gold. "I guess he never realized that he would create it." Alternate storyline: hunters are bounty hunters who can turn in monsters to the government. Monsters are a little different (shapeshifters are more like skinwalkers, etc.)
1. Epilogue

Nova huffed. She was bored. She had been told to watch Sarah Jane while her daddy left to get food, but Sarah Jane didn't do _anything_. She just sat and watched Nova like she was a cartoon. It was creepy. The four year old had resorted to looking out the window, watching for her daddy to come home. That was when she saw the doggy.

It was a pretty doggy, with long brown fur that the girl was positive would feel as soft as that coat she had wanted from the store. Daddy had said it was too expensive, and that Sarah Jane needed the diapers _more_. Nova had pouted all night. The doggy whined and Nova noticed a gentle paw held tenderly to doggy's chest. The girl was conflicted. Daddy said not to go outside, but the pretty doggy was hurt!

It would only be a minute.

Nova gently undid the door's latch, then the padlock. Opening the door, she quickly and silently scampered over to the doggy, reaching out to touch it. Then something strange happened. It stretched, bones snapping and rearranging until it wasn't a doggy anymore. It was a large man who hulked over the child.

Nova screamed.


	2. Chapter One - The Bounty Hunter

(Five years later)

Keith Quinn checked the rounds on his sawed-off shotgun. He had kept surveillance over the property for the last forty-eight hours, preparing for this moment. Taking a deep breath, he was preparing to enter the innocent-looking barn when the thought struck him. It was too quiet. No barks, screams, or pleadings pierced the crisp morning air. His eyes widened and he took a tentative step inside the barn.

Nothing.

He ran inside, frantically looking through the small, cramped cages he knew were there, each one home to a Shifter, ready to be sold to a master like a pet.

They were empty. Keith swore. He had been so close this time, watching the area all day. How had they managed to leave without him noticing? Suddenly, he remembered a crucial piece of information and was immediately alert again. They were still here.

It was selling day.

A door swung open and Keith managed to hide behind a wooden pillar to avoid being seen. A broad shouldered man strolled out. Keith recognized him as Carver Todd, the brains of this operation. The man shut the door quickly, locking it behind him and discarding the key in a flower pot.

The flowers inside were long dead and now withered vines, but as soon as Todd was out of sight, Keith gently hurried over and grabbed them, being as silent as possible. He fumbled with the key, almost dropping them, but he managed to fit it into the keyhole. Gingerly turning the doorknob, he stepped inside.

It was a storage room with multiple cages, about three sizes too small, with _kids_ stuffed inside. At first he wondered what the hell kids were doing there, but then he was struck with the reality of the situation. These were not children. These were monsters. Just underage Shifters not sold yet. There were at least three cramped cages with kids ranging from three to six locked inside.

Keith made a noise of disgust deep in his throat. Normal children, cursed to become these… _things_ for the rest of their lives. He cocked his gun, waking up one of the children. He looked up at him with bleary eyes. The child's eyes quickly widened and he took a deep, ragged breath as if to scream, but then nothing happened. The boy just stared at Keith, eyes wide. Keith shivered, looking away. _Just do your job,_ He told himself. Hunt down and turn in dangerous monsters before they hurt people.

Looking at the children, he tried to remind himself that they would grow up to become killers, murderers. He had to prevent that, or at least put them out of their misery. He aimed his stun gun and braced himself when he heard a sniffle.

Distracted, he peered down at the child. He could now see that it was a girl. It's deep brown eyes eyes bore into Keith. He shuddered when it blinked and it's eyes flashed a brilliant gold. He noticed where the silver bars of the cage had rubbed against flesh by the deep burns that remained. Silver was like acid to Shifters.

Keith reminded himself that that was all this mongrel was. A dirty Shifter. However, a spark of pity ignited in him, and before he could convince himself otherwise, he grabbed the keys hanging from the hook on the peeling wallpaper and unlocked the cage. The door swung open and the thing eyed him tentatively, unsure of his intentions

Then he felt the cold embrace of a shotgun barrel on the back of his head.

"Just what is a Hunter like you doing in a place like this?" A deep growl came from the man's throat. Keith cursed himself. While he was having second thoughts about the job, Todd had returned. "Turn around." The bounty hunter slowly turned, contemplating what he could do to get himself out of the situation he had gotten himself into.

"I can explain-"

"I'm sure you can, but it wouldn't make any difference. I know what I do with bounty hunters. You don't. You'll find out soon."

* * *

Sorry about the short chapter and epilogue, this is my first time publishing fanfiction and I'll try to improve as i go. I take suggestions so if you have any, please message me!


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